The 2010 Independent Race Series End of Season Presentation was held on Saturday at the Marulan Driver Training Centre. All the category prize winners were awarded their trophies at the event, and there were some additional prizes presented to recognise some special contributions to the series during the year.

Click here to view the category champions. Additional prize winners were as follows:

• Corey Gurney - Sportsman of the Year


• Maria Mare - Never Give Up Award


• Phil Andrew - Encouragement Award


• Kylie Willmington - Media Personality of the Year

A selection of lucky door prizes were also presented on the night, with the major prize, a brush cutter thanks to R&A Mowers, went to Natalie Willmington.

It's not long until Christmas now, and if you're still struggling for an idea for the racer in your family, here are some great products from the companies that support iRace.

An Onboard Camera from Launch Helmet Cams. We recommend the iRacer Package, including a Drift Innovations HD170 camera (check out some sample footage from this camera here), a rugged roll bar mount and a 16GB SD memory card. Great value at only $449, check out the details by clicking here.

A gift certificate from the awesome Marulan Driver Training Centre. There are a range of products available, from Kids Training to Defensive and Advanced Driver Training. You can choose a gift to suit your budget, check out the details here.

Super Hoist Plus specialise primarily in car hoists, and no doubt any racer would love to receive a hoist for Christmas. The guys at Super Hoist Plus also sell some fantastic tools, and they currently have an offer for an extremely comprehensive and good value tool set. Check out the details here.

Not directly related to racing, but great supporters of our series, and stocking some excellent Christmas gifts, BlackBerryStore.com.au and their companion site SmartPhoneStore.com.au offer some awesome mobile devices, and some terrific accessories. Take a look now and you're bound to find some great Christmas ideas.

The McHitch is a fantastic invention from popular iRace Joe McGinnes. The McHitch replaces your traditional trailer coupling and provides much smoother, safer and quieter towing. Starting at $495 the McHitch will prove it's worth on the first long towing trip in reduced fatigue and more pleasurable driving. Check it out here.

And last but by no means least, HDT offers some fantastic high performance Holdens. They also offer a great range of accessories and modifications for the Holden enthusiast in your life. Check out the range here.

UPDATE: Launch Helmet Cams have just smashed the price on their entry-level GoPro Helmet Wide Hero Camera to $149. Check out some sample footage here. Check out the Launch product page here.

Racing for the 2010 Independent Race Series has come to a close, and there are a bunch of new champions to be recognised. To cap off a great year iRace will be having a two-part function at the Marulan Driver Training Centre Saturday 11 December.

Part 1 will be a Family Practice and Training Day using the fantastic training loop at MDTC. To drive on the day the fee is $80 (special price for iRacers), to be a passenger the fee is $50 (for iRacers).

Part 2 will be a 2-course Presentation Dinner in the function room at MDTC. The cost for the dinner is $29 per head.

You can choose which parts you get involved with and get more details on this special page on the iRace website: www.irace.net.au/presentation

The cutoff date for responses is December 3rd.

Round 7 TV coverage will screen on Fox Sports InsideSpeed Wednesday 27 October.

The coverage will also be shown on SBS Speedweek on a date to be advised.

As always, check your local guide for details.

Production racer James Flanagan received a very pleasant surprise at Round 7 of the Independent Race Series - the brand new Drift Innovation HD170 action camera from the awesome guys at Launch Helmet Cams.

Flanagan won the prize as a result of consistently getting his race entries in early. Competitors were notified early in the year that there would be a reward for submitting entries early, and James was in the first five entries received for every round, often being the first to submit his entry.

The Drift Innovation HD170 is one of the best onboard cameras on the market, it features full high definition recording, a variety of mounts (plus a roll cage mount thanks to the guys from Launch) and a full colour LCD screen to help setup the perfect shot.

Launch Helmet Cams are based in Perth, and distribute a full range of fantastic onboard/helmet cameras. They have supported iRace for the duration of 2010, and supplied this fantastic prize. They also have a great deal going at the moment for iRace competitors on an iRacer Onboard package - just $549 for a Drift Innovations HD170 Camera, a Rugged Roll Bar Mount
and a 16GB SD Memory Card. Click here for all the details.

The final round of the Independent Race Series for 2010 was held at Eastern Creek on the weekend, and the drivers weren't the only ones to do some winning. As part of our ongoing recognition of the awesome work our volunteer officials do, iRace was able to reward three lucky officials from the meeting.

Stu Inwood, our very dedicated scrutineer, won a Fastrack V8 Super Drive and Ride. Experience V8 Racing / Driving at its best, with the best, you and a professional race car driver behind the wheel of a V8 Race Car You Drive for 6 (NSW-SA) or 8 (VIC-WA) heart-racing laps. Then be taken for 3 thrilling Hot Laps as a passenger with your pro race car driver.

The Gurney Racing team, in conjunction with R&A Mowers, provided two fantastic lawnmowers, which were won by: Paul Brissington, Turn 2 Flag Marshall, and Mick Harvey, Fire Marshall.

With the cold and windy conditions experienced at Eastern Creek, every single official was deserving of our recognition, and we're very grateful to Fastrack and R&A Mowers to be able to offer these prizes as part of that recognition.

If you'd like to find out more about becoming a volunteer official with the Independent Race Series, click here.

Gentleman racer, Ray Lintott passed away recently, and iRace would like to extend their condolences to Ray's family and friends.

Lintott passed away on September 12, at age 67, after succumbing to a 12-month battle with cancer.

Lintott was known for racing a wide variety of cars, and being a noted car dealer. He joined iRace in January 2010 for the last ever race meeting at Oran Park, driving his Porsche 911. He is survived by his wife and three children.

Super Hoist Plus Production Racing Cars competitor Gerry Murphy will carry the Day of Difference (DoD) logo on the bonnet of his MoComm Racing HSV GTS in an effort to raise awareness about the vital work undertaken by this important charity.

The charity was founded in November 2004 by the parents of little Sophie Delezio who suffered unimaginable burns to 85% of her body in a terrible accident at her child care centre. Thanks to the skill and dedication of hospital staff, Sophie survived.

But there are many more children like Sophie, who suffer critical injuries and need our help. On average, 68,000 children aged 0-14 years are admitted to children’s hospitals due to injury.

That’s 186 per day and 8 every single hour.

Driver Gerry Murphy said “Sophie’s situation was the catalyst for us getting involved with DoD. I just wanted to do something to help her and the hundreds of kids like her. If our involvement can assist to raise the profile or prompt someone to donate, then I feel we have helped in some small way.”

The Day of Difference Foundation
The Day of Difference Foundation is a national children’s charity dedicated to working for critically injured children and their families across Australia, by supporting them on the life changing journey from Intensive Care through to recovery.

The mission of the charity is to offer family support, hospital resources, access to communications and accommodation, community engagement and education in the acceptance of difference.

The Family Support Program
The lives of families where children have been critically injured are often changed forever. The psycho social impact of the trauma they face is well documented in research and for some, it is lifelong and something from which they may never recover.

The Day of Difference Foundation aims to practically address the issues these families face through a new program called the Family Support Program; following the principles of family centred care. We believe this program will result in fewer hospital delinquencies and translate to cost savings in the overall heatlhcare of the family.

The final round for 2010 of the Independent Race Series will be held at Eastern Creek, 16 October. Find out more at the official website: www.irace.net.au

For more information on the Day of Difference Foundation, visit: www.dayofdifference.org.au

Round 6 of the 2010 Independent Race Series was held in fine weather at Queensland Raceway 14-15 August. As with the earlier round held at Lakeside, only a selection of the iRace categories attended: Super Hoist Plus Production Racing Cars, McHitch Touring Car Challenge and HDT Muscle Division.

The action came thick and fast, with each category completing five races. The fast layout at Queensland Raceway, with the long straights meant the more powerful cars were at an advantage.

Super Hoist Plus Production Racing Cars saw plenty of on-track action, with two of the races red-flagged when cars went into the gravel traps, but when the flags were green the racing was spectacular. Class X saw a dominant performance by Franck Donniaux in his WRX STi once again, winning outright in all five races. The V8 Class was blitzed by Daniel Flanagan in his Commodore ute - Flanagan didn't have it all his own way though, he was forced to start from pitlane in the opening race, but still managed to finish second outright, and first of the V8 Class (onboard video here). Class A was won by Clark Stott (Mazda MPS) who enjoyed some epic battles with Graham Lusty. Class B went to Barry Black, the quiet achiever of Class B. Black kept his nose clean, while Neil Byers and Sean Soole kept each other busy. Class C was once again dominated by John Willmington (Pulsar SSS).

HDT Muscle Division saw a diverse array of cars, from turbo-powered 4 cylinders to fire-breathing V8s, and the on-track action was equally as exciting. Tony Saint (Mazda RX7) showed great consistency and solid performances in the handicap races to take the round win, ahead of Paul Chaffey (Subaru WRX) and Rod Gurney in his beautifully turned out XT GT Falcon. Gurney's team, in the true spirit of iRace, also helped another competitor get back on track - Maria Mare spectacularly broke an axle, and it was Corey Gurney who was instrumental in getting the Commodore saloon car back up and running.

McHitch Touring Car Challenge turned plenty of heads for this round, with the introduction of the Oz Truck stock cars. The 500+ HP, V8-powered utes look the part, and proved that they can lap with the best of them, setting very fast times, and taking the round win outright, with Chaz Mostert winning all but one race. Second for the round was the spectacular Dwayn Taylor in his wheel-hiking Torana. Third was Graham Struber in the second of the Oz Trucks.

In all, another epic round of the Independent Race Series. TV coverage from this round will screen on SBS Speedweek, Sunday 5 September at 12.30pm. The grand finale for 2010 will be held at Eastern Creek, Saturday 16 October. Don't miss out!

Joe McGinnes, popular McHitch Touring Car Challenge competitor, and inventor of the awesome McHitch will be appearing on the TV program New Inventors tonight on ABC1 at 8pm.

McGinnes invented the revolutionary McHitch Trailer Coupling, and supports the Touring Car Challenge category. Check back here after the show for a rundown of what happened, and links to some additional information.

UPDATE: Joe's outline, including some video from the show, has now been posted on the New Inventors website. Check it out, and VOTE FOR JOE if you support his outstanding invention!

UPDATE #2: Joe has won the "People's Choice" award! Congratulations Joe, and thank you to all those who voted!"

At iRace we love our officials. At every trophy presentation drivers extend their thanks to the volunteers who stand in the sun, rain or wind all day to make our racing possible - we couldn't do it without these guys. And when we can, we try to give something back. At our most recent round at Eastern Creek, every official went into a draw with a chance to win one of two great prizes. The winners from that round were as follows:

Judy Ellacott from Race Control won a weekend for two at the Blue Hills Farm Retreat, with thanks to the Gurney family. Situated in the heart of historic Hartley Vale, Blue Hills Farm Retreat offers relaxing country charm for both couples and families providing an ambient, romantic and cosy place to unwind and relax. Surrounded by native Australian bushlands with wild life a plenty, breathtaking mountain escarpments and glorious sunsets, this is a special place.

Rodney Gard from Recovery won a V8 Super Drive and Ride thanks to the guys at Fastrack. Experience V8 Racing / Driving at its best, with the best, you and a professional race car driver behind the wheel of a V8 Race Car You Drive for 6 (NSW-SA) or 8 (VIC-WA) heart-racing laps. Then be taken for 3 thrilling Hot Laps as a passenger with your pro race car driver.

Similar rewards will be offered at our final round for 2010, again at Eastern Creek, in October. If you would like to learn more about becoming an official, or getting involved with iRace, click here.

We'd also like to extend a huge thank you to Prolific Systems who provided two safety cars at the round. Prolific Systems offer quality, affordable emergency vehicle lights and siren amplifiers, as well as a range of other equipment for emergency and industrial vehicles.

Round 5 of the 2010 Independent Race Series took place under cloudy skies on Friday at Eastern Creek. Great fields across all categories put on some terrific racing, and as always a great atmosphere and plenty of camaraderie.

In Formula Tasman, Guido Belgiorno-Nettis was expected to be a major force in his 1985 Ferrari F1 car, and he took pole position in Qualifying 2. Guido was destined not to make the grid for the first race though, after the car succumbed to gearbox gremlins. Chris Farrell retained his stranglehold on the front spot, leading the field all the way in his Swift Formula Atlantic in Race 1. Sam Dale slipped into second place in his Reynard 94D and kept it to the chequered flag, Ron Coath was in third. As the field awaited the start of Race 2 the skies darkened, and it seemed inevitable that it would rain at some time during the race. The rain fell as the cars completed their warmup lap, and with all cars on slicks and an extremely slippery surface, it was a steady start to the race. Sam Dale managed to get the power down a little better and took the lead at the start. Despite the treacherous conditions Farrell held second to the finish, with Ron Coath again in third. Farrell and Dale ended the round equal on points, but Dale was awarded the round win due to his higher finishing position in the final race. Ron Coath took third for the round.

LeMans Sports saw it's most impressive grid yet, with a clutch of Radicals joining the series for the first time. Peter Opie was fastest in qualifying, and peerless in both races, taking the top spot for the round. In fact, in the wet Race 2, Opie was able to pass the leading Formula Tasman cars (the categories were running together) and take a strong outright win. Second place in the opening race went to Rowan Ross (Radical), third was Andrew MacPherson (West). The wet conditions in Race 2 changed the order somewhat, with Greg Smith (Radical) second and Andrew MacPherson again third. Peter Opie won the round, with Rowan Ross second and Andrew MacPherson a close third.

The McHitch Touring Car Challenge saw a V8 Supercar in the ranks again, and it was Dean Neville (BA Falcon Supercar) who took pole position by a comfortable margin. Neville took victory in the first race, but suffered a blown tyre at the very high speed turn one in the second race, ruling him out for the remainder of the day. The always consistent Norm Stokes was second in the opening race, first in Race 2 and second in Race 3, giving him enough points to win the day and extend his championship lead. Second for the round went to Barry Jameson who DNF'd the opening race, but finished second and first in Races 2 and 3 respectively.

RocketSports saw the popular Holden Roadsters and Future Racers joined by an extra group of production-based sports cars for this round. The three groups were extremely close, with their different strengths coming to the fore in different sections of the circuit. Jade Barnes took pole position in his Future Racer, ahead of Michael Caine in his twin turbo RX7. Caine turned the tables in the opening race, taking the win ahead of Steve Dascarolis and Kosi Kalaitzidis (both in Future Racers), best of the Holden Roadsters was Rod Moynahan. In Race 2, Caine was again the outright victor, ahead of a recovering Jade Barnes and Stephen Borness in his 911 Carrera, Moynahan was again best of the Holden Roadsters. In the final race Jade Barnes was able to take the win ahead of Caine, and Rodney Barnes was third. Graham Smith was quickest of the Holden Roadsters. For the round, Michael Caine took the outright victory, Jade Barnes won the Future Racer category, and Rod Moynahan took out the Holden Roadsters.

HDT Muscle Division turned on some awesome action, and once again proved that consistency is key, and ultimate pace is not always enough to take victory in the category. Joel Knott (Nissan GTR) won the opening race, but was unable to take the grid for the following races. Stuart Inwood (Nissan GTR) took second in Race 1, with Brian Anderson (BMW E46) third. Anderson took the win in Race 2, the first of the handicap races, ahead of Mark Abnett (EVO 4) and Allan Ross (Cooper S). Race 3 saw Stuart Inwood take the victory ahead of Brian Anderson and Paul Butler (EB Falcon). The outright win for the round went to Brian Anderson, ahead of Stuart Inwood and Mark Abnett. Category winners were: Brian Anderson (Improved Production/Sports Sedans), Robert Marchese (HDT Cup) and Stuart Inwood (Japanese Turbo).

In the very popular Super Hoist Plus Production Racing Cars, pole position went to Franck Donniaux (WRX) by a clear margin. The classes were hotly contested, with Donniaux winning Class X from Mal Smith (WRX) and Leon Black (WRX). The V8 Class saw two different race winners on the day, but was ultimately won by Geoff Kite (Commodore), ahead of Tony Grant (Monaro) and Daniel Flanagan (Commodore Ute). Class A saw Richard Mork back amongst the action, and winning all races to take the class win ahead of Clark Stott (Mazda 3 MPS) and Nick Chambers (Mini). Class B went to Neil Byers (Mitsubishi 380) ahead of Sean Soole, fresh from a massive rebuild after his accident at Lakeside in his Celica, and Carly Black (Peugeot 306). Class C went to John Willmington (Pulsar SSS), ahead of James Flanagan (Hyundai Sonata) who took his first ever race win and Chris Reeves (Proton). BlackBerry Store awarded awesome BlackBerry devices to Richard Mork and James Flanagan.

A successful round in no small part thanks to the awesome volunteer officials (with some great prizes going to a couple of lucky workers thanks to Blue Hills and Fastrack), and the spirit of the iRace competitors and their teams.

Coverage from this round will air on SBS Speedweek Sunday 25 July.

The next round of the series will be held at Queensland Raceway, 14-15 August. Entries are already open. The series returns to Eastern Creek for the season finale in October.

As we mentioned previously, popular Super Hoist Plus Production Racing Cars driver Mark Bell was injured in a testing accident at Queensland Raceway in late June.

From all reports Mark's recovery is slowly progressing, but it will no doubt be a long haul. To support Mark and his family, iRace will be holding a fundraising raffle.

Tickets will be available at our Eastern Creek round next Friday (9 July), but we'd like you to pledge your support in advance if possible (and if you can't make it to Eastern Creek, and want some tickets, let us know and we'll sort something out). To reserve your tickets, please head to the support form by clicking here and complete your details.

Prizes have been arranged by R & A Mowers, operated by the Gurneys (HDT Muscle Division competitors), and with thanks to Parklands, Karcher and Makita.

First prize:


Parklands DX-250 electric kids bike

Second prize:


Karcher electric pressure water cleaner

Third prize:


Makita cordless drill

Tickets are $10 each or you can get 10 tickets for $50.

If you would like to share a message of support for Mark and his family, you can do it on our Facebook page (click here).

If you want to tell your friends about this, you can use the address: supportmarkbell.irace.net.au

iRace is a great community of racers, but we couldn't go racing without the fantastic volunteer officials. These guys spend their spare time standing out in all sorts of weather to help make our racing possible. We like to show our thanks whenever we can, and not a trophy presentation goes by without the officials being thanked in a number of speeches. And as we have done in the past, we are now able to offer a little more recognition to our officials.

Thanks to the Gurney family, and Blue Hills Farm Retreat, one randomly selected official will win a fantastic weekend for two at the Blue Hills Farm Retreat, located in the Blue Mountains, near Lithgow.

Situated in the heart of historic Hartley Vale, Blue Hills Farm Retreat offers relaxing country charm for both couples and families providing an ambient, romantic and cosy place to unwind and relax. Surrounded by native Australian bushlands with wild life a plenty, breathtaking mountain escarpments and glorious sunsets, this is a special place.

And thanks to Fastrack, another randomly selected official will win a V8 Super Drive and Ride.

Experience V8 Racing / Driving at its best, with the best, you and a professional race car driver behind the wheel of a V8 Race Car You Drive for 6 (NSW-SA) or 8 (VIC-WA) heart-racing laps. Then be taken for 3 thrilling Hot Laps as a passenger with your pro race car driver.

A huge thank you to our fantastic supporters for helping us recognise the efforts of our volunteer officials! We will have similar rewards on offer for our final round for 2010 at Eastern Creek in October, check out the details closer to the event.

If you are interested in being an official at one of our events, please check out the info and get in touch.

We would like to extend our wishes for a speedy recovery to Mark Bell, a valued member of the iRace family.

Mark was injured in an accident while testing his Falcon at Queensland Raceway on Friday.

Mark joined the series last year, and recently upgraded his car to V8 spec, enjoying at excellent run at Lakeside earlier this month.

We ask everyone to spare a thought for Mark, we are thinking of you, wishing you a speedy and full recovery, and hope to see you soon.

Round 4 of the 2010 iRace series at Lakeside Raceway will see a brand new supporter join the series with GENESIS the fitness club for every body, coming on board.

Genesis is a long established chain of fitness centres serving locations around Australia, and will be title sponsors of the RocketSports category. Genesis will also sponsor Stephen Pocock in his Honda Civic competing in Muscle Division.

Genesis has 40 Fitness centres around Australia staffed with leading professionals to help you achieve your goals. This is very relevant area for the motorsport competitor for trimming kilos and improving cardio fitness for improved race performance. Fitness is a major part of motorsport preparation at any level, so catch up with a Genesis team member at Lakeside or drop into your local centre.

Visit the Genesis website here.

Check out Genesis on Facebook here.

Follow Genesis on Twitter here.

Round 4 of the Independent Race Series heads to Lakeside Raceway 12-13 June 2010. Check out all the event information here.

Every iRace meeting (every race meeting in general) can only happen thanks to the support and effort of our awesome volunteer officials. We are grateful to each and every one, and at our most recent round we were lucky enough to be able to express this gratitude in a unique way.

Thanks to Fastrack Racing, we randomly selected one of our officials to receive a gift certificate for 3 Hot Laps around Eastern Creek with Fastrack. The prize was won by Flaggie Ross King, from Wyong.

A big thank you to Fastrack and all our awesome supporters, and to the great bunch of volunteer officials who help make our racing possible.

The next round of the Independent Race Series will be held at Lakeside, 12-13 June. For more information, click here. We'll be working to offer more prizes to our officials at future events.

To learn more about Fastrack Racing, click here.

And to find out how to get involved in the Independent Race Series as an official, click here.

The Independent Race Series is all about having a great community of racers. We strive to have a relaxed atmosphere at our events, and encourage everyone involved in the series to look after each other. So it was a great honour last week when one of our competitors, Stuart Inwood, requested a digital version of our logo so he could have some signs made for his racecar (you can get the logos yourself by clicking here). Stuart will be competing in some supersprint events in the coming weeks, and wants to encourage his fellow supersprint competitors to join iRace.



Stuart did this at his own expense, and on his own initiative, and it's a great example of someone really getting behind our great series, and understanding that he can help to make it even better.

If you see Stuart at an event in the future, give him a pat on the back for his efforts.

So, what can each of us do? There are a few simple things that can help our series grow, and make it better for all of us:

• You can tell your friends and acquaintances about the series
• If they need more information you could print them a copy of this flyer
• You can put the official iRace sticker (as has been distributed at the rounds this year) on your racecar, tow car, road car (request a sticker here, or ask for one at sign-on at the next round)
• You can join us on Facebook, and share some of our posts with your friends
• You can request some iRace mini cards to hand out to people you think may be interested in joining us
• You could even add a link on your website to www.irace.net.au

Most important of all though, keep doing what you're doing - competing at our great events, and helping maintain the relaxed atmosphere and mate-against-mate racing. The entry form for the next round is available here.

We're into the second quarter of 2010, and we've already seen plenty of action in the 2010 Independent Race Series. Here are some of the highlights since our last update:

• Round 2 took place at Morgan Park: friendly atmosphere, great racing
• Speedweek coverage from Morgan Park available online
• Round 3 was held at Eastern Creek: one day format proved a success
• Speedweek coverage for Eastern Creek scheduled for 6 June
• More onboard footage than you can poke a stick at!
• iPhone application released
• Flag signals feature article
• VHoldR ContourHD Helmet/Onboard camera review
• Basic editing of onboard footage tutorial
• Blackberry Store comes onboard as official communications partner
• Loads of photos in the gallery (mostly from R3)
• iRace Series Rules & Regulations available for download

Our next event is Round Four, to be held at Lakeside in Queensland. Spaces are limited at this event, so if you haven't already, get your entry in asap!

UPDATE: Please note that due to a scheduling change with SBS (as a result of their cycling coverage), the telecast dates have changed by one week. The date shown above is the revised date.

TV coverage of the latest round of the Independent Race Series from Eastern Creek will screen on SBS Speedweek Sunday 6 June from 1pm onwards. As always, check your local TV guide to confirm.

The coverage will also appear on Fox Sports InsideSpeed, Wednesday 9 June.

Put it in your diary to make sure you don't miss any of the action!

UPDATE: Please note that due to a scheduling change with SBS (as a result of their cycling coverage), the telecast dates have changed by one week. The dates shown above are the revised dates.

Round Three of the Independent Race Series was held at Eastern Creek on Friday 9 April.

The event was the first time iRace has hosted a one-day format on a Friday, and it proved to be a big hit with the competitors, with plenty of track time for everyone, and a full weekend left to recover, rejoice or reconstitute.

Qualifying was held in the morning, with two sessions for each category. Despite threatening clouds over the circuit on the Thursday evening as many teams unloaded their cars, Friday morning brought clear skies and warm temperatures, which would remain in place for the whole day.

Once qualifying was out of the way, the racing action came thick and fast, with eleven races between noon and 4.20pm.

The Super Hoist Plus Production Racing Cars saw another very strong grid do battle, with Anthony Soole setting the pace in qualifying, his nimble Lotus Exige a full two seconds clear on pole position. In the racing, Soole was equally quick, but a DNF in Race Two cost him the Class X round win, that honour going to Franck Donniaux in his Subaru WRX STi. In the V8 Class, Steve Briffa impressed everyone with his immaculately turned out VE HSV Clubsport. Briffa never finished outside the top three outright, and won the V8 Class convincingly. In Class A, Clark Stott took a well deserved round win. Class B was hotly contested, with the popular Bryan Fitzpatrick returning to the category getting the upper hand to take the round win. Class C went to John Willmington in his very fast Pulsar SSS. Save of the day goes jointly to Steve Briffa and Mal Smith, the pair doing a synchronised spin in the high speed turn one (photos here, video here).

Formula Tasman and LeMans Sports were combined, with Chris Farrell running very strongly in his Swift Formula Atlantic, and dominating all sessions. Sam Dale had hoped to offer more of a challenge to Farrell, but a slipping clutch saw him limp home in both races. Geoff Rands performed well to take out the LeMans Sports honours.

RocketSports saw a solid field of Future Racers do battle with the Holden Roadsters. Father and son duo, Rodney and Jade Barnes turned out a pair of immaculate Future Racers, and were split in Qualifying by the Canberra Milk-liveried Future Racer of Steve Dascarolis. Jade Barnes went on to take the outright round win, winning two races, while the other race was won by his father Rodney. In the Holden Roadster stakes, Graham Smith took the honours.

HDT Muscle Division and McHitch Touring Car Challenge were combined for this round, and the action was fantastic. Norm Stokes and Joel Knott were split by just a hundredth of a second in Qualifying, with Stokes taking the pole. In the opening scratch race, Stokes took the outright win, with Knott best of the Muscle Division cars. Adam Lloyd and Adam Tipping pushed each other all the way, and were the leading HDT Cup runners. In the first of the handicap races, Race Two, newcomer Michael Nordsvan took the win, with a number of battles right throughout the field. In the final race (another handicap affair), 4 cars jumped the start, but the racing didn't suffer at all. Joe McGinnes wretched day (he'd already suffered two DNFs) came to a heartbreaking end with just one lap to go, and after he'd driven an epic race to take the lead at the beginning of the final lap. Joe's right front tyre let go, and he was out of the running. It then looked as if Michael Nordsvan would take another race win, but he was one of the jump starters, and received a 30 second penalty, handing the race and round win to another newcomer, Tim Miller in his fire-breathing Mazda RX7. Rod Gurney drove solid races to take out the Improved Production/Sports Sedan honours, with Adam Lloyd best of the HDT Cup. Norm Stokes took out the McHitch Touring Car Challenge.

All in all, a fantastic day's racing, and there were plenty of smiling faces at the trophy presentation at the conclusion of the event. A huge thank you to all the volunteers and officials who made the event possible, and for those of you who missed this one, make sure you come along to our next one-day event at Eastern Creek, 9 July. Before that though, the Independent Race Series heads to the fantastic Lakeside circuit in Queensland, 12-13 June. Entry forms will be available soon, so watch this space!

Round Three of the 2010 Independent Race Series is rapidly approaching, with just under three weeks until action gets underway.

iRace will visit the fast Eastern Creek layout for the first time on Friday 9 April. The event is an action packed one-day schedule, with qualifying and three races for all categories except Formula Tasman/LeMans Sports (which will have two longer races). The full schedule and supplementary regulations are available by clicking here, or use the buttons below.

The circuit will be available to unload cars/trailers on the afternoon immediately preceding the event (Thu 8 Apr) at a time to be confirmed, ensuring the action can get underway straight away on Friday morning.

Entries are now open, so head over to either the online entry system, or the printable form, to get your entry in now!

TV coverage of the latest round of the Independent Race Series from Morgan Park will screen on SBS Speedweek Sunday 4 April. The iRace segment will start at around 2pm, but as always, check your local TV guide to confirm.

The coverage will also appear on Fox Sports InsideSpeed, Wednesday 7 April.

Put it in your diary to make sure you don't miss any of the action!

The Independent Race Series visited Morgan Park on the weekend, and despite the early threat of monsoon conditions associated with Tropical Cyclone Ului, the conditions were fine and sunny, and the racing top class.

The Morgan Park facility and the friendly and accommodating volunteers and circuit staff fitted perfectly with iRace's brand of racing, and the relaxed, friendly atmosphere the series takes to every round.

Super Hoist Plus Production Racing Cars fielded a very strong grid, word-of-mouth spreading since the 2009 round, and the racing was close, fair and fun. Frank Donniaux maintained the upper hand over Anthony Soole in Class X, taking three of the four race wins, and winning a BlackBerry from BlackBerryStore.com.au in the process. In the V8 Class it was Daniel Flanagan who took the honours (despite a suspension drama causing a DNF in the final race). In Class A, Richard Mork was strongest, with Sean Soole taking out Class B, and winning the second BlackBerry. John Willmington, driving a Pulsar custom-made for the Morgan Park layout took out Class C (finishing ahead of almost all the Class B cars). Full Super Hoist Plus Production Racing Cars results are available here.

HDT Muscle Division and McHitch Touring Car Challenge were combined for this round, and the result was some action packed racing. Frank Donniaux joined the field in his Subaru WRX, and looked to be the early pace-setter, while Joe McGinnes was lifting wheels all over the place as he jetted around in his XY GT Falcon. Norm Stokes was consistently quick all day though, and proved that consistency counts for a lot in the handicap format by taking the McHitch Touring Car Challenge round win, ahead of McGinnes and Donniaux. In the Muscle Division, Rod Gurney drove some fantastic races to take the round win, ahead of Merrick Malouf and Maria Mare. Full McHitch Touring Car Challenge results here. Full HDT Muscle Division results here.

Formula Tasman was dominated by Chris Farrell in his 2001 Swift Formula Atlantic, but Farrell was kept honest in all races by Sam Dale in his Reynard 94D. Dale overcame early gearbox dramas to shadow Farrell all weekend, the pair setting their quickest times in Race 2, with 60.2 seconds for Farrell and 60.4 sec for Dale. Full Formula Tasman results here.

Robert Free looked like the early favourite in RocketSports, but a spin in the opening race, and an engine gremlin for the final race saw local boy Matt Clift take the honours. Free and Clift battled in every race, the most exciting tussle coming at the end of Race Three, where the pair swapped the lead repeatedly, with Clift just managing to get the upper hand at the flag. Adam Dodd, driving a Holden Roadster for the first time, managed to take second place for the round, with another local, John Woolcock taking third. Full RocketSports results here.

All in all a fantastic meeting, and enjoyed by all who attended. There's already some onboard video action available at onboard.irace.net.au, with more to be added soon thanks to Launch Helmet Cams. Look out for some photos in the gallery in the near future (in the meantime, click here to check out some great photos), and details of the TV coverage will be announced as soon as they are available.

Your next chance to get a dose of iRace action is in just under three weeks time! At the fantastic Eastern Creek, 9 April. Get your entries in now!

We're hosting another competition for those running at Round 2 at Morgan Park on our Facebook page.

To enter the competition, you need to:

• Visit the Launch Helmet Cams website (link on the front page of the iRace site).
• Find out the price of the VHoldR ContourHD.
• Post the price in the comments to competition post on the iRace Facebook page.

We will randomly select one of the correct entries to carry the Launch Helmet Cams VHoldR ContourHD at Morgan Park, with the footage featured on onboard.irace.net.au and possibly on Speedweek!

Additional conditions: the winner must be entered for Round 2, they must be a Facebook fan of iRace (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Independent-Race-Series/217908244004 ) and a member of the Launch Helmet Cams Facebook group (http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=96569660724 ). Good luck!

In another exciting announcement for the Independent Race Series, it can now be revealed that Blackberry Store has signed on as the Official Communications Partner for the iRace series in 2010.

Blackberry Store (www.blackberrystore.com.au) is the premium source for Blackberry Phones / PDAs including the new Blackberry Bold and an extensive range of Blackberry Accessories. Blackberry Store is based at North Ryde, in Sydney, but serves the whole of Australia through it's extensive online store. They offer the very best in phones and PDAs, and also offer comprehensive support, training and accessories.

The partnership will see Blackberry devices awarded to two Class winners in the Super Hoist Plus Production Racing Cars at each round. The prize will rotate between the different classes. To be in the running, Super Hoist Plus Production Racing Cars competitors will display Blackberry Store stickers either on the sides or front of their vehicle.

The Super Hoist Plus Production Racing Cars showcases a huge variety of production cars in action packed racing. The cars have only limited modifications from standard (most to enhance safety), but this only serves to make the action more fierce, as drivers in evenly matched machines battle it out for class honours. This new partnership will mean there is even more reward for taking the top spot.

The next round of the Independent Race Series will be held at Morgan Park, 20-21 March. Visit www.irace.net.au for more information.

Head to blackberrystore.com.au to see their great range of phones, PDAs and accessories on offer, and support the company that is supporting our series.

It's here, and it's totally free: iRacer, the iRace iPhone application.

Compatible with the iPhone and iPod touch, the application is available in the App Store now, completely free. The app allows you to keep up to date on the latest News, Results, Features, Photos and Classifieds from your compatible device.

Click the image on the right, or the button below to check it out on the App Store, or you can search for iRacer on the iTunes store.



For a little more info, you can check out the iRace App microsite at: app.irace.net.au

Thanks to our sponsors, supporters and competitors for making our ongoing innovation possible.

iRace is shooting for a big year in 2010, and with your support, we're already on our way.

• Round 1 was our biggest meeting yet, read the full report here. Check out all the multimedia here.
• TV coverage from Round 1 was made possible by Super Hoist Plus, McHitch.com.au and HDT. Check out the episode here. There are also some excellent excerpts from this episode, available here.
• We've got a ton of onboard video from Round 1, thanks to Launch Helmet Cams. Check out the video here, or on our Vimeo group here. You can share your videos too!
• We started a Facebook "Fan Page" in January, and we've just cracked the century, with 101 fans at the time of writing. If you use Facebook, check out the iRace page and become a fan (if you haven't already).
• We've also added a couple of feature articles to the website. A review of the VIO POV1.5 helmet/onboard camera, click here to view. And a (hopefully) simple explanation of how an anti roll bar works - read it here.

Which brings us to our next round. It's a little over a month away, and will be held at the awesome Morgan Park circuit 20-21 March. This track is fantastic as anyone who attended the round in 2009 will tell you. The round needs your support to make sure it is successful. Entries are open now, and you can enter online here, or download the form to mail or fax in here. Get behind the round, make the trip to Warwick, and encourage your mates to do the same!

Many of our competitors and supporters already know the answer to the question: What is iRace? But sometimes it can be challenging to pinpoint exactly what it is about the Independent Race Series that sets it apart from other forms of racing. Sometimes it's worthwhile being reminded exactly what it is that makes our series great.

Ultimately, what defines us is the things we care about. For iRace, it's a simple list:

• We care about safety.
• We care about each other.
• We care about driver development.
• We care about diversity.
• We care about affordability.
• We care about our supporters.

Read on for a short explanation of each point.

We care about safety.

We strive hard to make our racing as safe as possible. Our marshalls and officials have excellent training, and safety is their number one priority. Our regulations focus on ensuring that racecars are as safe as possible, and we conduct regular checks for compliance.

We care about each other.

Our series is all about mate-against-mate. We encourage hard racing, but insist that drivers put themselves in the other guys shoes, and treat their fellow competitors the way they would like to be treated. We also help each other out if there is work to be done to get a car back on track.

We care about driver development.

Often racing can become a procession. Not in our series. We employ a variety of different race formats (handicap, reverse grid, rolling starts) to ensure that drivers in our series learn as much about racecraft as possible, and practice a variety of techniques that give them a headstart over other drivers.

We care about diversity.

We have many different kinds of cars and drivers in our series. There is a place for all of them. We have carefully designed our categories to cater for as many different cars as possible, and to offer something for the casual racer, and for the driver who has their sights set on the top.

We care about affordability.

Racing costs money. But with the right strategy, the amount of money can be kept to a minimum. Our series has evolved to offer the lowest cost possible. We’ve thought outside the box, and scheduled some of our events on a Friday. All in the interests of keeping our entry fees fixed at $395.

We care about our supporters.

Our supporters help make our series happen. We work hard to make sure series, category and individual team sponsors get as much exposure as possible. Prosperity for our supporters means prosperity for our series. What’s good for them is good for us!

To download a PDF poster of this information, please click here. Please feel free to pass it on to your friends and competitors!

Attention competitors! We would like to feature your onboard videos on www.irace.net.au

We know a number of you have your own onboard cameras, and no doubt there's plenty of great footage from Round 1 - the last EVER race meeting at Oran Park. So if you're willing to share it, we'd love to feature it.

If you've already uploaded your video to a video sharing website, we just need the link (send it in here). If you haven't uploaded any video yet, then we're recommending Vimeo. Follow the simple procedure below to add your video to the Independent Race Series group on Vimeo:

1. Create a free Vimeo account (if you already have one, you can skip this step). Just go to www.vimeo.com and select "Join vimeo". Or we've made it easy for you, just click the button below!

2. Go the Independent Race Series Vimeo group page: www.vimeo.com/groups/irace, click on "Join this group".

3. Then on the Independent Race Series group click on the "Upload Video" button. Again, we've made it easy for you, just click on the button below!

4. Click "Choose a file to upload", and then find the video on your hard drive (or you can even upload it straight from your camera if it's plugged in!), and then fill in some information about it. Don't close your browser or leave the Vimeo page until the video has finished uploading. Once it's complete, it will automatically appear in the iRace Vimeo group, and once we see it, we'll embed it on "User Videos".

We selected Vimeo because of the very high quality playback, and the fact that our competitors can upload video for free, and automatically add it to the Independent Race Series group.

We look forward to seeing all your great videos!

If you don't have a camera yet, consider our Official Onboard and Helmet Camera Partner - Launch Helmet Cams.

See below for a selection of the videos uploaded so far! To see the videos in all their high def glory, go to onboard.irace.net.au or check out the Vimeo group by clicking here.

The TV coverage from Round One is set to go to air as follows:

• SBS Speedweek - 31 Jan - 1pm
• FOX InsideSpeed - 3 Feb
• FOX Full Noise - 4 Feb
• FOX Speedweek - 10 Feb

Please note that all FOX dates are subject to change, and as always, check your local guides to confirm air times in your area.

Thank you to Super Hoist Plus, HDT and McHitch, who help make the TV possible.

Round Two of the Independent Race Series will be held at Morgan Park, 20-21 March. The entry form is available here.

The Independent Race Series gave Oran Park a fitting send off over the weekend, in what is expected to be the final race meeting ever for the popular Sydney circuit. The meeting was also an excellent opener for the 2010 iRace season, highlighting that the tradition of family-friendly, mate-against-mate racing that was such a big part of Oran Park's history will live on in the Independent Race Series.

Activities got underway on Friday morning, with official practice sessions, and then qualifying in the afternoon. Despite the threatening skies, the weather stayed dry for the whole meeting. Strong fields turned out across the board, with the most impressive in RocketSports, HDT Muscle Division and Super Hoist Plus Production Racing Cars.

Competition was fierce in qualifying, with pole positions taken as follows:

Super Hoist Plus Production Racing Cars - Franck Donniaux (D. Flanagan V8 Class, Richard Mork Class A, Bryan Fitzpatrick Class B, John Willmington Class C
HDT Muscle Division - Greg Boyle - Nissan Silvia
Formula Tasman - Sam Dale - Reynard 94D (Neil Kenny LeMans Sports)
RocketSports - Jade Barnes - Future Racer
McHitch Touring Car Challenge - Barry Jameson - Jaguar

Racing got underway on Saturday morning, and right from the driver's briefing it was clear that mixed emotions were the order of the day - happiness at having a chance to race at Oran Park one last time, and a tinge of sadness that it would be the last time.

In the Super Hoist Plus Production Racing Cars, competition within the classes was very strong. Class X saw Franck Donniaux (Subaru WRX) fighting it out with Anthony Soole (Lotus Exige). Donniaux made the most of his 4WD to take the early lead. The two drivers traded fastest laps, and Donniaux too the win in Races 1 & 2, with Soole getting the upper hand in Race 3. In the brand new V8 Class, Daniel Flanagan was dominant in Race 1 & 3, but had an off-track excursion in Race 2, and was forced to retire from that race - Geoff Kite didn't need an invitation, and capitalised to take V8 Class in Race 2. Class A belonged to Richard Mork in his Honda Integra - Morky enjoying some great battles, and relishing the chance to reminisce about all the laps he's done at Oran Park. Bryan Fitzpatrick took three class wins in Class B, making a welcome (and successful!) return to the series. And in Class C, John Willmington started 2010 the way he finished 2009, with a dominant class win. Full results available here.

HDT Muscle Division boasted a bumper field, and the racing was fantastic. Greg Boyle took the win in the scratch race, holding out Adam Lloyd and Mick Duff. Race 2 was the first of the handicap races, and a red flag after 9 laps saw the fastest cars unable to overcome their handicap. Rod Gurney took advantage though, driving a smooth race to take the win ahead of Paul Axiak and Alan Walls. Race 3 ran the full distance, and on the final lap almost the whole field was separated by only a couple of hundred metres. Paul Leabeater took the race win, also handing him the outright round win. Darren Gillis scorched through from a full lap handicap to take second, and Adam Lloyd was third. Full results available here.

Formula Tasman and LeMans Sports started with a promising field, with a couple of cars dropping out during the day. Sam Dale led the early running, but succumbed to gearbox failure dropping him from the lead of Race One, and ruling him out for the weekend. The Choon F3 cars wasted no time in taking over the lead though, and battling it out through all three races. David Choon took Race 1, but son Robert took the wins in Races 2 & 3. Robert took the round win, ahead of David, with Glenn Lynch putting in a solid performance to finish third. In the LeMans Sports stakes, Neil Kenny performed strongly, winning Race 1, but suffering a mechanical problem in the process, ruling him out of the remaining races. Andrew MacPherson put in a strong performance in his West (which he hadn't sat in until arriving at the circuit!), and took the wins in Races 2 & 3, and the LeMans Sports round win. Full results available here and here.

RocketSports put on some of the closest racing of the weekend, with the three different groups of cars in the field proving to be surprisingly evenly matched, with the Future Racers, the MX5s and the Holden Roadsters providing an excellent spectacle. Jade Barnes (Future Racer) had his eye on a clean sweep of wins, and after winning Race 1 & 2, was looking set to do so. 2009 Future Racer champion, Nathan Jess had other ideas though, securing the win in Race 3. Robert Free and Terry Clearihan continued their ongoing rivalry. Top of the MX5s was Chris Tonna, and the best of the Holden Roadsters was Terry Mayfield. Full results available here.

The McHitch Touring Car Challenge saw the inclusion of the new Gran Turismo class, opening the door for a more diverse field. In Race One, Barry Jameson had the upper hand in his Jaguar, ahead of Darren Saillard (Falcon Supercar) and Norm Stokes (Mazda RX7). In the first of the handicap races, Darren Saillard was a man on a mission, carving through the field to take the win. Grant Wilson in his awesome 1969 Chev Camaro V8 Giant held on for second place, and Andrew MacPherson was impressive in his Mosler to take third. In the finale, Saillard again blitzed through the field to take the win. Chad Parish in his debut in the ex-Perkins VX Commodore Supercar drove a solid race to finish second, and Norm Stokes was third. Saillard took the outright win, ahead of Parish in an impressive debut and a great showing from Grant Wilson. Full results available here.

A selection of onboard video from this event is available here, thanks to Launch Helmet Cams.

Look out for a gallery of photos soon.

The next round of the Independent Race Series will be held a Morgan Park, 20-21 March. For competitors, head to the online entry form to get your entry in. The Morgan Park circuit is fantastic, and really worth the journey for all those competitors from the southern states.

In continuing it’s support of the iRace series Kumho Tyres has some special offers for competitors for Round 1 of the 2010 series.

Special Offer:

225/50R16 V70A K90 tyres – Normal Price $420 per tyre - Special Price $225 per tyre
245/40R17 V70A K90 tyres – Normal Price $470 per tyre - Special Price $270 per tyre

All other Kumho Motorsport Tyres:

10% discount for tyre supplied and fitted for competitors at Round 1 PLUS and additional 5% discount if preordered and paid for before Round 1.

Kumho KU36:

Free fitting for all Kumho KU 36 tyres pre ordered for Round 1.

To preorder your tyres, please let John Mills of Kumho know asap so he can make sure the right tyres get on the truck, and so you can take advantage of these special offers. Contact John either via email: fsport@bigpond.net.au or phone: 0418 404 945

UPDATE: The competition has now finished, and Tony Bannano will carry the Launch Helmet Cams VIO POV1.5 in his Turbo Mazda MX5 at Oran Park.

We look forward to posting some great footage on onboard.irace.net.au after the event.

If you use Facebook, and aren't a fan of iRace yet, head over now (link below) as we'll probably be offering more competitions throughout the year. And if you get the chance, join the Launch Helmet Cams group (click to view), and thank them for their support of our series.

There's been plenty of action for the Independent Race Series in the past few weeks, as everyone gets ready for the new season. In case you missed it, here is a summary of what's been happening (click any of these to read the relevant article):

• Super Hoist Plus became the naming rights sponsor of Production Racing Cars
• HDT became the naming rights sponsor of Muscle Division and HDT Cup
• McHitch Uniglide Trailer Couplings became the naming rights sponsor of the Touring Car Challenge
• Launch Helmet Cams became the Official Onboard and Helmet Camera Partner
• Toranas are now eligible for HDT Cup
• Super Hoist Plus now features a dedicated class for V8s
• Our 2009 Presentation Night was held at Marulan Driver Training Centre
• A new section was added to the website to showcase onboard camera footage
• We learned how to make our racecars a little safer
• We offered up some New Years Resolutions for racers
• Updated category regulations are now available

2010 is going to be a busy year! Strap in for an exciting ride...

Round 1 is just a week away. If you haven't gotten your entry in yet, don't delay - head to the entry form now, and don't miss your last chance to race with iRace at Oran Park!

Joe McGinness, a founding member of the iRace family, and popular Touring Car Challenge competitor, had a great idea. He turned that idea into an amazing invention - the McHitch Uniglide Trailer Coupling.

The McHitch product is set to revolutionise towing. And in 2010, to promote the product, McHitch will be the naming rights sponsor of the Touring Car Challenge. The category will be known as the McHitch Touring Car Challenge, and all racecars will bear a McHitch.com.au windscreen banner.

The McHitch really is an amazing product. It offers triple-locking safety, greater than 90 degree flexibility, and extremely quiet and smooth operation. If you spend any amount of time towing, the McHitch can make it a much more pleasurable (and safer) experience. Head over to www.mchitch.com.au to learn all about this revolutionary product, and support the company supporting our series.

The McHitch Touring Car Challenge showcases the past 20 years of Australian Touring Car history. Featuring ex-V8 Supercars, Super Tourers, V8 Giants and the more recent "Giant Killers", cars such as the Mitsubushi Evo and Subaru WRX, as well as a contingent of invited "Muscle Cars" to put the odd cat amongst the pigeons.

The first round for 2010 will be held at Sydney's Oran Park GP, 15-16 Jan 2010. Click here for more information.

HDT have enjoyed a brief but fruitful relationship with the Independent Race Series with the inception of the HDT Cup in mid 2009, and that relationship is set to grow in 2010.

HDT have now taken on naming rights sponsorship of the very popular Muscle Division, in addition to sponsoring the HDT Cup. The categories will be known as The HDT Muscle Division, and HDT Cup respectively. Vehicles in both categories will display HDT windscreen banners, and HDT will also supply a $50 gift voucher to one prizewinner per category at each round of the Independent Race Series. These vouchers will not be transferrable, but may be used cumulatively if a competitor wins more than one during the season.

HDT has a rich history in Australian motor racing, starting in 1969, competing at Bathurst and beyond. The brand is closely linked to Peter Brock, the champion racer enjoying many successes with HDT. More recently HDT have launched the amazing Blue Meanie, a fearsome Commodore, with 350kW and a specification list to match it's stunning heritage. Only 250 of each model will be available - all featuring a numbered chassis plate, and paperwork. Click here to watch a short interview with Darren Gillis regarding the Blue Meanie. Head over to the HDT website to see what they have to offer, and support that company that supports our series. www.hdt.com.au

The HDT Muscle Division caters for all types of production-based racing cars. From the venerable HQ Holdens, to V8-powered Ford and Holden Utes, to ex-Commodore Cup cars, Improved Production, Sports Sedans (non-spaceframe) and Japanese Turbos, as well as Classic Touring Cars and more. The HDT Cup offers racing for a variety of V8 and 6 cylinder Commodores, and in 2010, Toranas.

The first round of the Independent Race Series for 2010 will be held at Oran Park GP, 15-16 Jan. Click here for more information.

Holden Toranas are now eligible for the very popular HDT Cup.

The HDT Cup started in mid-2009 as part of the Independent Race Series, and quickly gained popularity and strength as an affordable way to go racing in a Commodore. With this latest announcement, Toranas including: GTR XU1, A9X, L34, and SLR5000 will all be eligible to join the fun.

The Independent Race Series offers a unique mate-againt-mate brand of fun, affordable motor racing. In 2010 the series will expand to visit more circuits, and offer even more bang for your buck. The first round will be held at Sydney's Oran Park GP circuit, 15-16 January.

For more information on the series, and the HDT Cup, visit www.irace.net.au

Super Hoist Plus have long been supporters of the Independent Race Series (since the very beginning in fact). In 2009 Super Hoist Plus awarded a 2-post hoist to the overall Series Champion (John Willmington) and a Resto-Roller rotisserie to Series Runner Up (Neil Byers).

Heading into 2010, Super Hoist Plus are ramping up their support, and taking on naming rights of the Production Racing Cars category. The category will be known as the Super Hoist Plus Production Racing Cars, and all cars will bear Super Hoist Plus windscreen banners.

As part of the deal, Super Hoist Plus will also provide a $200 voucher towards Super Hoist Plus products as a prize for one competitor in each category at each round. These vouchers may be used cumulatively (if a competitor wins more than one, they will be able to use the total value towards a Super Hoist Plus product), but they not be transferred or exchanged for cash.

Super Hoist Plus are a family-owned and -operated company who supply quality products at everyday affordable prices, making it possible for anyone to own their own Super Hoist product. The range of hoists and other workshop equipment is very impressive, and offers something to improve just about any workshop.

Check out their extensive website, and support the company that supports our series, or contact Super Hoist Plus on 1800 71 72 73. www.superhoistplus.com

The Super Hoist Plus Production Racing Cars follow the true tradition of Australian motorsport - cars that can be bought from the dealer, made safe for racing with minor modifications and then raced hard - just like they used to do at Bathurst. The category features very close racing between cars from a huge variety of manufacturers.

The first outing of the Super Hoist Plus Production Racing Cars will be at Oran Park GP, 15-16 Jan 2010. Click here for all the details.

The Production Racing Cars category has displayed excellent growth and fantastic racing in 2009. The class system within the category allowed competitors to race in a quality field, and also receive recognition and results for their performance relative to equivalent cars. It compared apples with apples. In fact, it meant that John Willmington in a Class C car was able to take out the overall Series Champion title (and a shiny Super Hoist Plus 2-post hoist with it!).

Heading into 2010, we see the announcement of a new class within the Production Racing Cars category. The new class will be known as V8 Class, and will offer competition for a variety of naturally aspirated, V8-powered production cars. (Forced-induction production V8s will be eligible to compete in Class X.)

The first round of the 2010 Independent Race Series, featuring Production Racing Cars, will be held at Sydney's Oran Park, 15-16 January.

To access the 2010 Production Racing Cars Sporting and Technical regulations, please click here.

The Independent Race Series (www.irace.net.au) has announced an exciting partnership with Western Australia-based Launch Helmet Cams (www.launchhelmetcams.com.au). Launch Helmet Cams is now the official onboard camera and helmet camera partner for the Independent Race Series.

The partnership will see an onboard camera supplied at each round of the 2010 Independent Race Series for use in a specially selected competitor's racecar. The footage will be showcased on the Independent Race Series website, the Launch Helmet Cams website and The Hot Seat TV (www.thehotseat.tv).

Launch Helmet Cams is a Perth-based company dedicated to providing cameras for use in a variety of action and adventure sports. Launch Helmet Cams are the official Australian distributors for the VIO POV range of cameras (as used by AVE for the great iRace onboard footage in 2009), and a full range of all the best helmet and onboard cameras, including: GoPro, Drift Innovations, VHoldR, Elmo and Oregon Scientific. If you want to capture video from any kind of action sport, Launch Helmet Cams are THE people to talk to.

The Independent Race Series was formed in 2008, and is famous for it's mate-against-mate brand of racing. In 2010 the series features a seven round calendar, at some of Australia's best circuits, and showcasing racing by a huge variety of cars and categories, from flat-out open-wheelers to showroom-style production cars.

As part of the partnership between Launch Helmet Cams and the Independent Race Series, a selection of the best cameras for motorsport will be used, and product reviews made available on the Independent Race Series website. Of course, the onboard footage will also be available to help racers choose the best camera for their application.

Competitors from the Independent Race Series who choose to purchase a camera from the official onboard camera and helmet camera partner, Launch Helmet Cams, will also receive a free 16GB memory card to go with their camera, and store plenty of awesome footage.

Round One of the Independent Race Series will be held at Oran Park GP, 15-16 Jan 2010, and the footage from the first Launch Helmet Cams onboard camera will be available shortly after.

The Launch Helmet Cams online store is open now - an onboard camera would be the perfect Christmas gift for the racer in your family (or for yourself!). If you're an iRacer, don't forget to mention this to receive your bonus 16GB memory card.

The TV coverage from SBS Speedweek that screened last weekend is available to watch again on Speedweek's awesome website. Click here to view the episode.

There's also a great interview with Darren Gillis from HDT, he talks about the awesome new Blue Meanie, and his support of the Independent Race Series. Click here to view Darren's interview.

Speedweek coverage will be back for the 2010 iRace season. Round 1 kicks off at Oran Park GP 15-16 Jan.

The 2010 model iRace website has plenty of useful features. Hopefully you're getting to know them already. But to help out, we're posting regular tips on getting the most out of the site.

To get the most out of the site, head over to the "Website Features" page (click here) and read some of the 'Did You Know?' articles. We'll be adding to these regularly.

For example, did you know you can connect with iRace on Facebook by joining our group? And that you can follow iRace updates on Twitter? You can do both of these things from every page on the site - the links are at the very top of the page.

If you have any queries about the site, feedback, or something you would like explained, please get in touch here.

The Independent Race Series has launched its brand new 2010-model website today.

The new site aligns with the philosophy of the Independent Race Series of providing accessible, exciting and fun racing. Much hammering, grinding and polishing has gone into making sure the site is accessible, and provides a fun and exciting portal into the series.

It's now easier than ever to access the most popular sections of the site. Every page features links to: enter the next round, subscribe to the mailing list, or interact with iRace through social media like Twitter and Facebook. If these aren't your cup of tea, the site still has plenty to offer, with easy access to photos, videos, results and loads of other information.

Check out the new site now! www.irace.net.au

We're still bedding in the brakes, and running the engine in, so if there are a couple of glitches over the next few days, please bear with us - it will be worth it!

And check back in a couple of days for a short video highlighting many of the easily overlooked features of the new site. This will help even those on their internet P-plates access the best features of the site.

Round 1 of the 2010 Independent Race Series kicks off at Oran Park GP circuit, 15-16 Jan 2010.